“We want to be best prepared for our state tournament field (North 2, Group 3) where really good teams like Colonia are going to be very challenging for anyone to play, and where you hope to be as seasoned and battle-tested as possible heading in,” said the veteran Payne Tech head hoops mentor. “Our kids love the challenges in our schedule and also being back up in the American Division with some of the best teams in the state.”

Payne Tech’s 2023-2024 season ended with a very tough defeat as the Lions dropped a triple-overtime 55-52 thriller at Millburn in the N2G3 sectional quarterfinals.

The Lions elected to slow the game to a crawl in the extra sessions a strategy that did not wind up being successful in the end although Howard is not harping on the pros or cons of that rough conclusion to the last campaign.

“I look at it as a blueprint game in the sense I believe our guys learned a lot from what happened there and can hopefully benefit from the experience a year older this season,” said Howard. “We’ve had some great wins through the years, both at Bloomfield Tech and here at Payne Tech, and we like where our program is at right now.”

The 61-year-old Howard is ably assisted by former Bloomfield Tech players Myckal Corbitt and Sharif Hair, who do a great deal of the scouting of opponents, while veteran Tom Patierno directs the Lions jayvee squad.

This season is the final go-round for Foster, a 4-year starter and very familiar face around the SEC. The athletic backcourt performer has received D2 offers from Kutztown State and East Stroudsburg University, while D1 schools NJIT and Boston University have also expressed interest.

Edwell still has another high school season remaining, but is also getting a few D1 feelers, including from Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference programs.

“Our kids continue to put in the time and we enjoy coaching them each and every day,” said Howard. “We’re just looking ahead to our next game and not looking too far ahead because you can’t afford to look past anyone on our schedule.”

NOTES- Howard is a 1981 graduate of Arts where one of his teammates was popular, former North Jersey coach Vernon Freeland…Howard, who has a BA from Kean and a master’s in administration supervision from St. Peter’s University, has taught math and science for the past 33 years at the South 17th Street School in Newark…Howard’s dad, the late Frank Howard, was a lieutenant in the Newark Police Department and was once the supervisor for a young detective Brian Logan when the Weequahic football coach was with the Newark PD. Logan and Brian Howard attended Kean at the same time as well as undergraduates…Howard guided Bloomfield Tech to N2G1 state sectional titles in both 2014-2015 (when the Spartans also reached the overall Group 1 state final), and in 2017-2018, the final season that BT was open before combining with the old North 13th Street Tech to form Payne Tech.

SUPER ESSEX CONFERENCE ALIGNMENT FOR 2024-2025:
(Note: have moved from 5 to 6 divisions, adding the National)

AMERICAN DIVISION: St. Benedict’s, Immaculate, Arts, East Orange Campus, Seton Hall Prep, Payne Tech

LIBERTY DIVISION: Central, East Side, West Side, Newark Tech, Columbia, Newark Collegiate

COLONIAL DIVISION: Caldwell, Irvington, North Star Academy, Bloomfield, Millburn, Montclair

INDEPENDENCE DIVISION: Orange, West Essex, Belleville, University, Livingston, Science Park

FREEDOM DIVISION: West Caldwell Tech, Verona, Glen Ridge, West Orange, Shabazz, Barringer, MKA, Newark Academy

NATIONAL DIVISION: Nutley, Weequahic, Eagle Academy, Cedar Grove, Newark Lab, Technology, Golda Och, Bard